Rise of the Reflyable Rockets (Part 2)
The reusble rockets from China and Europe are coming
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If you haven’t yet read Part 1, I strongly recommend doing so first. It lays the essential foundation, the why and how behind reusable rocketry, along with the transformative trajectories this technology could open for humanity’s future in space. For brevity in that initial piece, I focused exclusively on systems developed and flown in the United States. In this installment, we turn our attention outward to survey some of the most promising and innovative reusable launch vehicles now under active design, testing, and early flight attempts around the world. These international efforts are accelerating rapidly, poised to drive launch costs even lower by the early 2030s and potentially achieve even greater reductions by 2040. This expanded perspective underscores a key point: reusability is no longer a single-nation story. It is becoming a global engineering race that will reshape the economics and possibilities of space exploration for decades to come.
China
Let’s begin with China because, well, China dominates this list. The Middle Kingdom has no fewer than nine reusable rockets under simultaneous development, either by state-owned contractors or by the private sector. The same forces of government subsidies and preferential policies that drove cutthroat competition, innovation, and cost reductions, which led China to dominate solar energy and electric vehicles, and perhaps soon robotics, are playing out in the country’s space launch industry.
Long March 12A
Let’s begin this list with somewhat of an oddity. Manufactured by the state-owned Shanghai Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (SALT). The LM-12A could be seen as the successor to the already-flying LM-12, but is actually different enough that it probably should be considered a new rocket with its own new designation. The LM-12 is a traditional Kerolox-fueled medium lift rocket, powered by four YF-100K engines on the first stage and two YF-115 engines on the second stage.
The LM-12A, on the other hand, shares the same “hull” but burns completely different fuel and uses different engines. It is equipped with seven reusable methalox-burning Longyun engines developed by a private start-up on its first stage, and a single methalox-fueled YF-209 on the second. The LM-12A rocket is also a medium-lift launch vehicle, carrying up to 12,000kg into LEO. The rocket made a successful maiden flight in December 2025, but like Blue Origin and SpaceX’s first attempts, the rocket failed to stick its first landing, crashing to Earth in a ball of flames. Nonetheless, lessons learned, we can expect them to get closer to nailing the landing the next time around.
Zhuque-3
Built by LandSpace Technology Corporation, Zhuque-3 is perhaps the most anticipated Chinese reusable launcher in the Western world. Zhuque-3 incorporates lessons learned from SpaceX and applies them to a single silver rocket. Like Starship and Nova, the rocket is built from stainless steel, leveraging its unique properties as a cheaper, easier-to-work-with metal. It is powered by 12 Tianque-12B engines on its first stage, also sipping Methalox fuel. Like Falcon 9, it is equipped with grid fins for control within the atmosphere, but couples them with chines near the base of the rocket, something found on Starship and New Glenn. The chines provide additional “lift” allowing the rocket to “fly” to the landing site, reducing the amount of fuel required for landing. The rocket aims to carry 21,300 kg to LEO in expendable mode and 18,300 kg in reusable mode, similar to Falcon 9. Zhuque-3 debuted in December 2025, successfully reaching orbit, but like the others, it failed to stick the first landing. However, of all of the rockets we have explored, it was probably the closest to “success” on its first try, crashing to the ground, albeit almost perfectly on target.
Long March 10
Under development at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the LM-10 and its several variants are China’s answer to both Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and SLS. The design leverages existing hardware to expedite development; its “hull,” for example, is derived from the Long March-5 rocket, though with weight reductions, and the rocket uses an improved version of the YF-100 engines used on the Long March 5, 6, and 7 series. In its base configuration, seven YF-100K engines, burning kerolox (like Falcon 9), can loft some 14 tons into LEO with partial reuse. Uniquely, the LM-10 will land on a floating platform, caught by a system of cables that eliminates the mass of carrying its own landing legs.
In its single-core configuration, the LM-10 will launch China’s new (also partially reusable) Mengzhou spacecraft to the Tiangong space station. The aim is that the rocket would replace, or at least supplant, the LM-7, LM-2, and LM-3 series in a single design. A triple-core variant of the LM-10, akin to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, with an additional cryogenic third stage, would serve as a partially reusable answer to NASA’s SLS. At some 92.5 m tall, it will be one of the largest rockets in the world, capable of launching some 70,000 kg to LEO or 27,000 kg to trans-lunar injection. Two launches, one carrying the Mengzhou spacecraft and the other a booster and lunar lander, will be used to put Chinese astronauts on the Moon. First flight of the triple-core variant is scheduled for 2027.
Hyperbola-3
Unfortunately, I was unable to find a suitable image for this rocket. Built by i-Space, the first private Chinese company to reach orbit, Hyperbola-3 will be powered by 9 JD-2 engines, also burning methalox fuel. The new rocket, which aims to debut in 2026, will be about 69 m tall and carry a payload of up to 13,400 kg to LEO in an expendable configuration and 8,500 kg with partial reuse. Like some Falcon 9 launches, Hyperbola-3 will land on an autonomous drone ship positioned at sea.
Pallas-1
Pallas-1 is a smaller reusable rocket being built by Galactic Energy. Its seven CQ-50 engines will power the first stage, burning traditional kerolox fuel. In its base configuration, Pallas-1 will be capable of carrying just 5,000 kg to LEO or 3,000 kg to SSO while remaining partially reusable. Like Falcon 9, Pallas-1 uses grid fins and landing legs to execute a landing. A “heavy” configuration of the rocket is also planned, using two Pallas-1 first stages as boosters, thereby increasing the payload capacity to 17,500 kg, though that figure is probably only in “expendable mode.”
Tianlong-3
Under development by Space Pioneer, a private Chinese company that aspires to resupply China’s Tiangong Space Station, Tianlong-3 is powered by nine TH-12 engines, burning traditional Kerolox fuel. The upper stage is powered by a vacuum-optimized variant of the same, called the TH-12V. Like many on this list, it competes in the same medium-lift market currently dominated by SpaceX’s Falcon 9, able to loft 17 tons into LEO, and like Falcon 9, the rocket features four grid fins for control and lands on four landing legs. Unfortunately, Tianlong-3 is best known for its “accidental” launch in June of 2024, where, during a static fire test, the test vehicle broke free from its clamps and launched into the air, landing and exploding in nearby mountains.
Nebula-1
Under development by Deep Blue Aerospace, another private Chinese company, Nebula-1 will be powered by self-developed Leiting-20 engines, burning kerolox on its first stage and a vacuum-optimized variant of the same on the second stage. It is a small reusable launcher with the ability to launch about 2.8 tons into orbit
Kinetica-2
Built by CAS Space, a new commercial arm of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kinetica-2 is a 3.35 m-diameter, 53 m-long medium-lift launcher that uses China’s Kerolox-burning YF-102 engines on its first stage, producing ~766 tons of thrust at liftoff. The rocket aims to make its maiden flight in 2026 and demonstrate booster reuse as soon as the following year. It will be able to launch some 7,800 kg to SSO or 12,000 kg to LEO. Notably, on its maiden flight, it will carry a prototype Qingzhou-1 cargo spacecraft, a cheaper alternative to the Tianzhou spacecraft already used to resupply China’s Tiangong Space Station.
AS-1
Founded in 2024, Astronstone is one of the newest contenders in this space and, like many of the rocket firms on this list, it makes a point of leveraging experience and lessons learned from SpaceX. To that end, they are developing the AS-1, a stainless steel, Methalox-burning rocket similar in size to the Falcon 9, about 70 m tall and 4.2 m in diameter. Like Starship, they plan to land the rocket back at the launch tower, catching it with two “chopsticks” arms.
Europe
Miura-5
Under development by PLD Space in Spain and aiming for a 2026 debut, the Miura 5 launch vehicle will be fairly small, its first stage powered by five 5 TEPREL-C engines and the second stage by a single TEPREL-C Vacuum. Powered by traditional kerolox and just 34 m tall, it aims to deliver a paltry 540 kg to a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit in reusable mode. Notably, its small size makes reuse harder to achieve. To that end, the rocket must employ more exotic composite material construction and its first stage will land using a combination of propulsive landing and parachutes. The parachutes provide most of the braking force; the engines are used only for the final touchdown.
Maia
Europe has another small reusable launcher coming online by MaiaSpace, an ArianeGroup subsidiary. Powered by Methalox and 3 Prometheus engines on its first stage and one on its second, Maia will stand approximately 50 m tall, but with payload capacities of just 500 kg to LEO in reusable mode and 1,500 kg in expendable mode. Like Starship, it will be built of stainless steel construction and use SpaceX-style grid fins and landing legs for reentry and landing.
Prime*
One of the more interesting European launch concepts is under development by Orbex in the United Kingdom. Capable of taking just 180 kg to a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit, Prime will be just 19 meters tall and less than 1.5 meters wide, smaller than SpaceX’s Falcon 1. To make reuse possible, the rocket will be built primarily of lightweight carbon fiber, saving roughly 30 percent of inert mass. The vehicle will have six engines on its first stage and one on its second, burning a novel non-toxic bipropellant combination of liquid oxygen and bio-propane (also called bioLPG), a renewable biofuel derived from sustainable sources. This fuel, allegedly, reduces carbon emissions by up to 90% compared to traditional kerosene-based fuels.
Even more novel is the landing mechanism, however, where, after stage separation, the interstage, still attached to the first stage, unfolds outward into four petals. The pedals create drag, passively reorienting the rocket and slowing its descent. The rocket then deploys a parachute to further slow down so that it can safely splash down in the ocean, where it can be recovered for reuse.
*Sadly, Orbex ceased operations while I was writing this article.
